Neuron paper is out

Since the early seventies, scientists have been developing brain-machine interfaces; the main application being the use of neural prosthesis in paralyzed patients or amputees. A
prosthetic limb directly controlled by brain activity can partially recover the lost motor function. This is achieved by decoding neuronal activity recorded with electrodes and translating it into robotic movements. Such systems however have limited precision due to the absence of sensory feedback from the artificial limb.

Here we asked whether it was possible to transmit this missing sensation back to the brain by stimulating neural activity in the cortex. We show that not only is it possible to create an artificial sensation of neuroprosthetic movements, but that the underlying learning process occurs very rapidly.